Derrick Smith’s GOP opponent off the ballot
By ABDON M. PALLASCH Political Reporter apallasch@suntimes.com July 17, 2012 9:20PM
The Republican challenging indicted State Rep. Derrick Smith has been thrown off the ballot by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.
Two challenges invalidated most of the 1,316 signatures private jet saleswoman Kimberly Small turned in to run in the West Side/Northwest Side district.
A challenge by Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) left her six votes shy of the 500 she needed. But another challenge by attorney Michael Kasper, lawyer for the state Democratic Party, got her down to fewer than 300 signatures.Many of the signers were not registered voters or did not live in the district.
That means Smith, a Democrat charged with taking a $7,000 bribe to help a day care center, will face Democratic municipal bond lawyer Lance Tyson, who is running as a “Unity Party” candidate, and perhaps one other candidate.
The other candidate, Joseph Sneed, has filed to run as an independent. His petitions have also been challenged.
Small’s attorney Charles M. Watts said he may file a constitutional challenge to the new state election law that requires candidates to file 500 signatures — a much higher amount than most states — to run for the state house, even in districts where few members of the minority party — in this case Republicans — vote.
